


i've been living in the dark for a long, long time

by bloodyhands_and_hollowstars



Category: Arrow (TV 2012), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Angst, Barry is a Cinnamon Roll, Cuddling, Fluff, M/M, Nightmares, Oliver is Emotionally Constipated, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-19
Updated: 2016-02-19
Packaged: 2018-05-21 16:26:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6058132
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bloodyhands_and_hollowstars/pseuds/bloodyhands_and_hollowstars
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Oliver tries not to fall asleep around anyone. </p>
<p>Barry doesn't care.</p>
            </blockquote>





	i've been living in the dark for a long, long time

Oliver tried not to fall asleep around anyone, let alone in the same bed. 

After what had happened with his mother when he first returned to Starling City, and the countless times he'd woken up since to grab the nearest person by the throat, his mind screaming at him to defend himself, he'd realized that it simply wasn't safe for anyone to be near him while he slept so they couldn't wake him up. 

He often had nightmares about his five years away, and these would wake him too, soaked in sweat and panting, even occasionally with the slight rawness in this throat that meant he'd screamed. He hoped he didn't wake Thea or his mother up- luckily, the Queen mansion was large and he always shut the door. He'd also been simply sleeping in the foundry more and more, when he did sleep- which was usually only a few hours grabbed in snatches. He couldn't remember the last full night of sleep he'd had, but that was admittedly mostly due to his 'nighttime activities', as Digg liked to refer to them as. 

So when he woke up in an unfamiliar room, sprawled out on a couch, with a warm body on top of his, he immediately scrambled upright without bothering to try to remember where he might be, dislodging the body atop him abruptly, cuing a sleepy complaint. 

Oliver, now sitting upright, glanced at the slowly awakening figure next to him, and relaxed slightly at the familiar and welcome face of Barry as the younger man yawned widely, now laying stomach down on the couch next to Oliver, one long leg hanging over the edge haphazardly. 

For a moment Oliver smiled at Barry, but then he realized what had just happened. He had fallen asleep with Barry, had slept hours right next to him. Oliver's muscles tensed again and he pressed himself a little further into the back of the couch, his mind suddenly spitting out images of everything that he could have done to Barry if he'd had a nightmare or been woken too suddenly or-

"I slept with you," Oliver said softly, his heart pounding in his chest. He was so fucking stupid. How could he allow himself to just fall asleep?

"Yeah..?" Barry said blearily. 

He must have noticed Oliver's hands clenching and unclenching slowly, his gaze dark and fixed on the floor. His gaze sharpened and he sat up, frowning. 

"What's wrong?" Barry asked. Oliver shook his head slightly, making a slight shift as if to stand. Barry made a cross noise and grabbed the edge of the older man's sleeve. "What's wrong?" he repeated. 

Oliver finally met his gaze, his eyes full of guilt. 

"I could have hurt you," Oliver said finally. "When I wake up, sometimes I-" he stopped, then took a breath and continued. "Sometimes I think I'm still on the island, and I hurt people if they're nearby because I think I'm in danger." He glanced away from Barry again. "On my first night back, my mother woke me up suddenly and I ended up putting her on the floor with a hand to her throat." He swallowed thickly, and slowly looked back to Barry. 

"Oliver Queen," Barry said. "You are lucky you have such a pretty face and a truly fantastic body, because you are a bit of an idiot."

Oliver stared at Barry. 

Barry smiled impishly and kissed Oliver's speechless mouth.

"I know you," he said, pulling back and meeting Oliver's eyes with his own suddenly serious ones. "You would never hurt me, unconsciously or not. Besides," he continued, the grin returning to his face. "I'm the Flash. There's no way you could catch me."

Oliver smiled at that. "I did once, in case you've forgotten." He pressed his lips to Barry's again, his tense body relaxing slowly.

Barry groaned. "You had help!"

Oliver smirked, his hands seated solid and warm on Barry's hips. "I was just using my resources."

Barry laughed. "Just admit that I'm too fast for you."

"I'll always keep up with you, Barry," Oliver said, and he made it sound like a promise.


End file.
